TERRA LINDA'S Jennifer Imbimbo has moved up to take one of the leading roles in shaping the future of Sonoma Raceway and how it fits in with the lives of its neighbors. Imbimbo has been promoted to senior manager of media and community relations at the track where she has worked since 2006.

While she has been a fixture in the press room throughout her tenure, Imbimbo will team with department senior director Diana Brennan in overseeing the planning of media events as well as orchestrating the track's many community and charitable events, programs that give back to Sonoma County.

"The biggest difference is taking on more of a management role," Imbimbo said. "It enhances my skill set, whether it is writing or working with a higher level of folks here at the raceway or nationally through each of our events. I look forward to more responsibility, taking on bigger picture ideas and contributing at a different level than I have been."

Imbimbo has always been driven by a love of sports. She grew up in San Rafael and participated in five sports: basketball, softball, swimming, soccer and volleyball. Then she was known as Jen Enos, or just Enos by her Marin Catholic teammates and friends.

"I always wanted to work in professional sports," Imbimbo said. "After I went to college (at UCLA), I got my masters in sports management at University of Pacific. When I'd come back for summers I'd work at the San Rafael Community Center as associate director of their sports camps. I've done extensive volunteer work at things like the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Pac-10 — as it was back then — women's basketball championships. I've always kept one foot in the door to help out at major events, and I've always wanted to be a part of putting on these really massive events that tens of thousands of people can enjoy."

Imbimbo will follow in the footsteps of the late John Cardinale who died in March of gastric cancer. Cardinale was senior director of media and community relations, along with the title of track vice president. Cardinale was an innovator in crafting clever media events and spearheaded the track's astounding growth in local charitable causes.

But it's not about just handing out checks and hoping for the best. Imbimbo and other trustees of SCC vet all applications for grants. And they follow up face to face.

"Each of us does at least one site visit to an organization that we either funded or didn't fund so we can learn more about the organization and what they do and where the money goes," she said.

This is perhaps the most tangible part of carrying on the Cardinale legacy.

"His integrity, his diligence, his abilities as a leader in getting everybody motivated; I'm so glad that we were able to work so extensively together since 2006 so I was able to mold myself after him," Imbimbo said.

Whereas that side of her duties is very fulfilling, the other side is challenging. The Bay Area sports media is very stick-and-ball oriented, and getting the print, radio and TV media to give racing its proper weight can be difficult. So media event enticements have to be unique.

"We've done cooking demonstrations with Jeff Gordon. We've taken Tony Stewart to train an elephant at the zoo. We've taken three Daytona 500 winners on cable car tours around San Francisco," Imbimbo said. "I'm very involved not only with the media outreach on those events but the planning from signage to location scouting."

And through that she's come to know the sport's heroes.

"To work with people like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Jimmie Johnson in different media events has been an incredible part of my job; to know that they are good people as well as incredible athletes," she said.

Looking towards the track's future, progress comes from innovative ideas. Last year was the first running of the NASCAR Express, a dedicated train straight to the track from Sacramento and the Central Valley. But along with improvement through grand ideas, there's also refinement through small details.

"I attend 49er games as a fan, and I always come back to our marketing and fan experience meetings with, 'Okay, this is what I saw, this is what I liked, this is what I didn't,'" Imbimbo said. "It is so important for us to get into the mind of the everyday fan."

That analytical approach and her passion for sports make Imbimbo a great asset to the coming era of the raceway.

"There is no one I trust to oversee a project more than (Imbimbo)," Brennan said. "She is able to run with a project from start to finish — both seeing the larger end goal and the minute details to get there. Whether it's overseeing a successful food drive or setting up for a race weekend, she is able to put together a solid plan and see it through to the end. Jen is good at her job because she brings a true passion for people and an incredible work ethic to everything she does."

Being one of the premier racing facilities on the continent gives Sonoma Raceway something very vital: the power to help.

"I think that success for the raceway is not only about our bottom line but making a positive impact in our community, whether it's through our Speedway Children's Charities, food drives, blood drives, toy drives, or children's Christmas parties," Imbimbo said.

Racing is about adrenaline, and Imbimbo has one goal in maximizing that: "Make sure our fans come out here and have an amazing, unforgettable time."

Pit bits

 Lap times at the Roar Before the 24 testing at Daytona again proved that Novato's Memo Gidley has a legitimate shot at the biggest win of his career. The Corvette Daytona Prototype he will share with Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty, and Darren Law placed fourth overall over the three days of testing.

 Kevin Buckler's TRG Aston Martin Racing squad will field a pair of Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3's in the GT Daytona class. The Novato resident's cars ran mid-pack in a class of 28 cars in the 58-car field.

 Corte Madera's Tom Dyer also drove a top-10 car at the test, the Pickett Racing P2 Nissan ORECA. He isn't likely to race in the Daytona 24 on Jan. 25-26, though. Dyer was right on the pace of the other three drivers, and hopes to parlay that performance into drives with this or other teams at that level later in the year.



After winning in class at last year's 24 Hours of Dubai, San Rafael's Vic Rice tasted the agony of defeat on Saturday. The Lotus Evora Rice shared with three other drivers only turned 23 laps, finishing second to last in the 77-car field.

Who: Jennifer (Enos) Imbimbo is the senior manager of media and community relations at Sonoma Raceway. Since 2006, she has worked extensively with local, regional and national media to promote major motor racing events at the raceway.Family: Grew up in San Rafael and now lives in Terra Linda with husband John and daughter AdelineEducation: Marin Catholic grad (Class of 1998); has a bachelor's degree from UCLA and a masters in sports management from the University of Pacific